Pakistan has reiterated its call for a United Nations-backed plebiscite on the disputed region of Kashmir, asserting that such a vote is the only legitimate means to determine the future of the territory. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the international community and relevant UN bodies to facilitate a credible referendum in line with UN Security Council resolutions dating back to the late 1940s and 1950s.
The foreign office stressed that repeated diplomatic engagements and global attention on the issue have not produced meaningful progress toward a resolution, and underscored the need for international guarantees to ensure that the will of the Kashmiri people is respected. Islamabad’s position is that a plebiscite, under UN supervision, would uphold the rights of Kashmiris to freely choose their political status.
The appeal comes amid ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, particularly after changes to the governance of Jammu and Kashmir by New Delhi in recent years, which Islamabad and others have condemned as a violation of previous agreements and international norms. Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach urged member states of the United Nations to support a process that would offer Kashmiris an opportunity to determine their own future without coercion.